Hey zap, check out: http://forums.oldradio.net//ftopic1732.html - some other board has been discussing the "bugs a fightin/bitin' " - by the way, since our recent discussion I have listened closely; I do believe it's FIGHTIN', but who knows?

great find Jimbo- the fightin/bitin' debate heats up! I've been keeping an ear open, but I haven't heard that phrase in any recent shows.

I noticed I had the episode of Fibber McGee and Molly from 1937 that someone on the oldradio.net site said had a mention of "Tuffy" Goff, so I listened to it last night. They scripted in several 'shout outs' to other radio performers in that episode.

Speaking of Goff, great, now I've got the ol' pine tree song stuck in my head!

crich- interesting find, the 'Reader'. Clicking on 'about this book' brings up a whole slew of other Readers from the era.

L&A took a vacation from the air between July and September 1945- it was noticeable because while listening in order suddenly they closed down the store and went on vacation, and when they came back, WWII was suddenly over.

L&A took a vacation from the air between July and September 1945- it was noticeable because while listening in order suddenly they closed down the store and went on vacation, and when they came back, WWII was suddenly over.

Probably - but to be honest, I didn't save a link or write down the date since it was an advertisement...

I wont give it away but I remember liking that story-line also. I'm waiting for you to get to 1946 also before I continue.... listening to a host of stuff these days. Really been into Night Watch lately- it's like listening to the tv show 'Cops' only from 1954, and a lot of it around where I drive every day. On my commutes several mornings I've been like "wow... what I heard last night happened right over there! "

I thought of another saying for the dictionary blog.
Someone asked me how I was doing today and for a second I was thinking to answer: "Oh, mostly tolerably!"

Yeah, I recall the Mary plot. At first, I really liked the character and was hoping she would stick around. But like a lot of Lum and Abner plots, just as you get into the ongoing plot, another hair-brained scheme comes up and they're on to the next thing without really wrapping up the last.

I do seem to recall there was something that finally happened with Mary that resolved that whole storyline and explained where she ended up.

Usually it's Lum's various love interests that get completely lost in the shuffle. Some new lady will arrive in town, and for weeks the plots revolve around Lum courting her- then suddenly she's forgotten about and barely ever mentioned again, and weeks later some new flame has entered the picture.

I wonder did the listeners of the era ever write in and complain? "What the heck happened to such and such? You never said, just moved on to the next thing like it never happened!"

A few times they've repeated plots -with totally different outcomes- from earlier seasons- like Lum and Abner building and running a movie theater. They also did that in the 1935 season. When they repeated it, I couldn't imagine why they didn't just acknowledge that they'd done the same thing a decade or so earlier for anyone that remembered it- because they changed the plot drastically enough that it was an entirely different story.

Also, the Jottemdown store itself gets completely changed- they'll do a story where they're practically rebuilding it into a bakery or something based on Lum's latest scheme- and for weeks the changes are a big part of the story- then suddenly it's as if all that never happened and they're on to something else. Never mind what happened to the big oven in the middle of the store or whatever other crazy change they made.

Remember one story (from '42 or '43 I believe) where they made a huge deal about modernizing and buying a delivery truck so Abner wouldn't have to make the deliveries on foot. I remember it was a huge deal for weeks- they almost went broke to pay for the truck- but then suddenly *poof* no more truck, no mention of what the heck happened to it from them on!

Yeah, I recall the Mary plot. At first, I really liked the character and was hoping she would stick around. But like a lot of Lum and Abner plots, just as you get into the ongoing plot, another hair-brained scheme comes up and they're on to the next thing without really wrapping up the last.

Reckon she got put away in the reformintory?

Zap wrote:

I do seem to recall there was something that finally happened with Mary that resolved that whole storyline and explained where she ended up.

Last I heard she was still in school - I was thinking though by the way she was acting that she might get preggers...

Zap wrote:

Usually it's Lum's various love interests that get completely lost in the shuffle. Some new lady will arrive in town, and for weeks the plots revolve around Lum courting her- then suddenly she's forgotten about and barely ever mentioned again, and weeks later some new flame has entered the picture.

This - I think - is due to missing episodes. I picked up a lot missing episodes this last summer... and as you may have read am in the process of removing the annoying organ and LONG commercials at front and end of some of those episodes (15 episode is actually 9.5 minutes of L&A.) Maybe when I am done I can upload them here if Brad will let me.

Zap wrote:

I wonder did the listeners of the era ever write in and complain? "What the heck happened to such and such? You never said, just moved on to the next thing like it never happened!"

Probably. And also wondering where their Lum and Abner Flashlights ever went.

Zap wrote:

A few times they've repeated plots -with totally different outcomes- from earlier seasons- like Lum and Abner building and running a movie theater. They also did that in the 1935 season. When they repeated it, I couldn't imagine why they didn't just acknowledge that they'd done the same thing a decade or so earlier for anyone that remembered it- because they changed the plot drastically enough that it was an entirely different story.

I feel the exact same way. I remember Abner said something one time - I forget what now - and I was thinking, you are such a liar, you did the same thing in 1935!

The way I have it figured, they just ran out of ides. They did everything themselves, writes, produce etc. They didn't have a secretary. They just plum run out of ideas. Don't that beat the bugs a fightin!?

Zap wrote:

Also, the Jottemdown store itself gets completely changed- they'll do a story where they're practically rebuilding it into a bakery or something based on Lum's latest scheme- and for weeks the changes are a big part of the story- then suddenly it's as if all that never happened and they're on to something else. Never mind what happened to the big oven in the middle of the store or whatever other crazy change they made.

I can't tell you how many times I have gone over the same crap in my head. Whatever happened to the giant delivery truck? The proprty they bought for the planetarium/rocket ship to Mars(!) Other properties they have bought.

Zap wrote:

Remember one story (from '42 or '43 I believe) where they made a huge deal about modernizing and buying a delivery truck so Abner wouldn't have to make the deliveries on foot. I remember it was a huge deal for weeks- they almost went broke to pay for the truck- but then suddenly *poof* no more truck, no mention of what the heck happened to it from them on!

HA! I just saw this. You saw I wondered about it too. They spent more than $100 fixing the truck up. I know it was damaged but they got it fixed - at least, that's the way I remember it. And then poof, next episode, Lum is thinking about opening a silver mine with Squire, or selling diamonds or (I see in a later episode that I haven't gotten to yet) open a restaurant.

Your mention of it makes me wonder how many episodes I'm missing. I think I acquired most of my L&A collection from archive.org and a few other sources, and I'm sure I'm missing quite a few shows.

Speaking of changes to the store; I do like that they kept the library theme going for a long time. Long after they did the library plot, Abner still answers the phone "Jot-em Down store and library, Abner Peabody doing the talking!"

By the way, remember Grandpap as the only library patron reading out of the old farmer's almanac? I looked into it once and realized that they actually read verbatim out of the Farmer's Almanac- I was able to look up the actual facts -names, dates, places- that Grandpap was reading.

I'm also a huge comic book fan- one of my favorite episodes was Lum getting a rack of comic books in the store! I think they had to get rid of it because Cedric and Abner just wanted to stand around and read comic books all day!

Your mention of it makes me wonder how many episodes I'm missing. I think I acquired most of my L&A collection from archive.org and a few other sources, and I'm sure I'm missing quite a few shows.

Speaking of changes to the store; I do like that they kept the library theme going for a long time. Long after they did the library plot, Abner still answers the phone "Jot-em Down store and library, Abner Peabody doing the talking!"

By the way, remember Grandpap as the only library patron reading out of the old farmer's almanac? I looked into it once and realized that they actually read verbatim out of the Farmer's Almanac- I was able to look up the actual facts -names, dates, places- that Grandpap was reading.

I'm also a huge comic book fan- one of my favorite episodes was Lum getting a rack of comic books in the store! I think they had to get rid of it because Cedric and Abner just wanted to stand around and read comic books all day!

Yep the "libary" lasted forever - think it was one of those "re-done" plots as well - as was the bank they opened. I remember them also opening up a post office.

Speaking of almanacs..

I don't ever remember them promoting this - I'll bet this was an Arkansas thing only. (You can still buy these on eBay and they are pretty cheap...)